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Why women criticise sexualised character designs | OT3 | "make her look more...corpulent, more stuffed where the eyes can't escape."

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NicoNicoRose

NicoNicoRose

Member
Dec 9, 2020
143
Portland, OR
Menome said:
Thank you for the detailed write-up. I've added them to my Wishlist and may take a look if they get a good discount.
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I just want to second the other reply and add that I played Second Light after only a very brief exposure to the original game and I loved it (with the caveat that it isn't *free* of the fan service stuff but it's way, way, waaaaaaaaay less prominent and creepy than in the original).

I felt like everything I needed to know was explained well enough that I didn't feel lost. And I was just so pleased at how much better Second Light is about the creep factor and how genuinely sweet its queer element is.

I played Second Light back to back with The Caligula Effect 2, another game that shocked me by how fanservice-free and blatantly textually queer it got, and it really drove home how much better the work of other companies like Atlus *could* be doing if they'd stop catering only to horny guys.
 
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NicoNicoRose

NicoNicoRose

Member
Dec 9, 2020
143
Portland, OR
seroun said:
Talking about female character design in Era might be one of the most frustrating, talking-to-a-wall things I've ever done on the internet. Am I insane? Do I simply not have the neurons to enjoy a overtly sexualized design? Why would yuo want to go back to the old, sexualized pop-porny look of Lara Croft?

That's why I engage so much less in this forum as of late. It's filled with men who like to think of themselves as kinda open-minded and they are not. And yeah I'm gonna fucking judge and bash the users that I see enjoying a design with a camel toe (or literally anything like that). This forum does genuinely, honest to god, gaslight you in terms of anything regarding women or feminism. And at this point I just don't care about bringing it up to staff because seemingly it doesn't matter (after the thousand instances we've had of the same kind of attitude).


There, rant finished.
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I have to say I feel this. I'd been directed to this forum as one of the least-bad gaming forums but it's still depressing how many threads will be filled with guys talking over women (especially queer women) and celebrating regressions like the return of Sexy Lara without even a thought to how gross it comes across.

It can be just as bad here as on some more openly worse forums, just couched in the veneer of "this is the place that ostensibly does better about this kind of thing" despite letting a lot of this stuff slide because it's maybe 5% more couched in different language (and not even that sometimes!).
 
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    • doops.

    doops.

    Member
    Jun 3, 2020
    2,646
    Weebs: "THIS MINOR ISN'T SEXY ENOUGH!!"

    ogz4w4seypic1.jpeg
     
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    • Rae

    Rae

    Member
    Mar 7, 2019
    1,025
    aspiegamer said:
    Hi, random lurker here, this just jumped out at me. It pains me how much these games have changed. Back in the PS3/Vita days with the Arland and Dusk trilogies I in part liked them more for how well-mannered they were! Every year I thought "wow, I was worried they'd go full sexy but they generally restrained themselves again!" ...They're completely unplayable for me these days and I've checked out since Sophie. Had been an avid player since the PS2 and I have a small mountain of special editions of the things. They can't pass the basic test of "yes I'm comfortable with characters who look like that on my TV" which is a pretty low bar.
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    Agreed I was introduced to the Atelier series on PS3/vita and now I struggle to play anything beyond the Dusk series too. I feel like with Ryza it has been going steadily downhill that I lost total interest in it and then again they did release a gacha so that didn't helpt matters much.

    It's a shame since FeMC and crafting/alchemy games are in my fav game genre but the creepy character designs need to go soon.
     
    TheBryanJZX90

    TheBryanJZX90

    Member
    Nov 29, 2017
    3,037
    RecLib said:
    Soul Hackers 2 had a woman as the main character and it is as much an SMT game as any Persona game is, so while it is probably going to be male forever in Persona specifically, I wouldn't say its impossible to have the occasional SMT game here or there with a woman lead.
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    Persona 2 already had a woman as the main character
     
    Timu

    Timu

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    15,792
    Naiad said:
    How to spot a person who's entire premise on meeting a woman is through anime alone and has never clearly had a healthy, normal relationship with one outside of fantasy-land.
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    I'm really starting to question if these guys had actually been with women in general because at this point it doesn't seem like it, lol.
     
    Naiad

    Naiad

    Member
    Aug 27, 2020
    1,087
    Timu said:
    I'm really starting to question if these guys had actually been with women in general because at this point it doesn't seem like it, lol.
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    I never have to question anymore, lol. I see guys write this kind of stuff so often now and it's like an immediate red flag to me with a side of eye roll every time.

    And like, half of it is the fault of visual entertainment media like video games, movies, anime, etc....but the other fault lies in how they were raised to perceive women too.

    It's just an "Ugh. You're one of those." moments.
     
    Jaded Alyx

    Jaded Alyx

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    35,644
    Kohlbiri said:
    Same. I get that reboot Lara can be a bit bland at times but her redesign is so so so much better than her classic look. And even when I played the Legend trilogy to get a feel for the more classic gameplay and personality of old Lara I absolutely hated her outfits in those games.
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    legend trilogy Lara is the best Lara in terms of character but those games are the worst when it comes to her possible outfits.

    Scrappy-Fan92 said:
    I have never heard anyone described as "corpulent" before like what the heck.
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    You've never seen the original Super Mario Bros movie?
     
    crienne

    crienne

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    5,301
    Why women criticise sexualised character designs | OT4 | More...corpulant; more stuffed where the eyes can't escape.

    Yeah, yeah I think this would be amazing.
     
    Jaded Alyx

    Jaded Alyx

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    35,644
    Scrappy-Fan92 said:
    I haven't seen it for the better part of a decade, but it sounds like something Koopa would say.
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    getyarn.io

    - Was she corpulent? Very corpulent? - No, she was just really round.

    Super Mario Bros. clip with quote - Was she corpulent? Very corpulent? - No, she was just really round. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect...
    getyarn.io getyarn.io
     
    Princess Bubblegum

    Princess Bubblegum

    I'll be the one who puts you in the ground.
    On Break
    Oct 25, 2017
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    A Cavern Shaped Like Home
    It is done
    Jaded Alyx said:
    getyarn.io

    - Was she corpulent? Very corpulent? - No, she was just really round.

    Super Mario Bros. clip with quote - Was she corpulent? Very corpulent? - No, she was just really round. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect...
    getyarn.io getyarn.io
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    Hah, I knew I had heard it somewhere once upon a time.
    xendless said:
    I feel like the quote has to be from this forum

    You can look anywhere outside of here and find awful quotes, but it takes a special organic gmo free home grown take to be truly special
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    As much as this forum has men in need of shame, it doesn't sit right with me to quote someone. That can go sideways. With this, we just quote misogynists that can only yell at clouds and kick rocks.

    Also the quote sounds exactly like what a creepy game director would say behind closed doors. Totally not thinking about a game being pushed by Sony.
     
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    xendless

    xendless

    Teyvat Traveler
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    Jan 23, 2019
    10,911
    Princess Bubblegum said:
    It is done

    Hah, I knew I had heard it somewhere once upon a time.

    As much as this forum has men in need of shame, it doesn't sit right with me to quote someone. That can go sideways. With this, we just quote misogynists that can only yell at clouds and kick rocks.
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    But, isn't this thread's title from this forum, about Cammy?
     
    Yabberwocky

    Yabberwocky

    Member
    Oct 27, 2017
    3,288
    I kept debating whether or not to post because it's like, I have nothing new to add, why post? Yet the phrase 'more stuffed where the eyes can't escape' is now continually looping in my brain in a state of flabbergasted horror.

    ...I also thought I'd forgotten or misunderstood the definition of corpulent, but no.
     
    MoonlitSeer

    MoonlitSeer

    Fallen Guardian
    Member
    Jun 9, 2023
    956
    ... I didn't recognize the topic with the new title...

    I can't believe that's a real thing someone said.
     
    grand

    grand

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    25,261
    It's actually astounding that we finally found something that broke PB and caused her to change the thread title.
     
    Rhaknar

    Rhaknar

    Member
    Oct 26, 2017
    42,999
    been wanting to ask this for a long time, how often do you guys (or gals I guess) actually drop a game or not play it out right because of some sexist design or imagery? I ask because I run into that stuff so often, usually in places I wouldn't expect, and every time I roll my eyes, think "come on man..." and usually move on, at least if I'm liking the game, and it got me thinking, if one was to drop or not play games where this shit pops up...

    ...you wouldn't be able to play many games >_>

    Which is obviously a sad state of affairs, but it is what it is. Case in point, I'm playing this top down roguelike called Devil Slayer Raksasi, picked it up on sale on Switch not knowing anything about it except it looked alright in pictures and had good reviews on steam, and all was going well since this is what the game looks like:

    ss_36aa465c92a3315816e9fb0ba669e558bd752f4b.1920x1080.jpg


    but then you run into the character screens and it's stuff like this

    ss_86084a17f17634124bfe335c685b7200687d6af7.1920x1080.jpg


    and as usual, I rolled my eyes, went "come on man..." (especially in the death screens where they use the ripped clothes anime trope) and carried on, because in the actual game, you would never know this, since it's completely top down (not even isometric). This is of course just one example, I mean, you can't play a JRPG for example (for the most part, I'm sure there's exceptions) without running into some eye rolling bullshit.

    So how do y'all handle it?
     
    Twohearts

    Twohearts

    Member
    Feb 8, 2024
    502
    Straya
    Rhaknar said:
    been wanting to ask this for a long time, how often do you guys (or gals I guess) actually drop a game or not play it out right because of some sexist design or imagery? I ask because I run into that stuff so often, usually in places I wouldn't expect, and every time I roll my eyes, think "come on man..." and usually move on, at least if I'm liking the game, and it got me thinking, if one was to drop or not play games where this shit pops up...

    ...you wouldn't be able to play many games >_>

    Which is obviously a sad state of affairs, but it is what it is. Case in point, I'm playing this top down roguelike called Devil Slayer Raksasi, picked it up on sale on Switch not knowing anything about it except it looked alright in pictures and had good reviews on steam, and all was going well since this is what the game looks like:

    ss_36aa465c92a3315816e9fb0ba669e558bd752f4b.1920x1080.jpg


    but then you run into the character screens and it's stuff like this

    ss_86084a17f17634124bfe335c685b7200687d6af7.1920x1080.jpg


    and as usual, I rolled my eyes, went "come on man..." (especially in the death screens where they use the ripped clothes anime trope) and carried on, because in the actual game, you would never know this, since it's completely top down (not even isometric). This is of course just one example, I mean, you can't play a JRPG for example (for the most part, I'm sure there's exceptions) without running into some eye rolling bullshit.

    So how do y'all handle it?
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    Personally, I'm just very careful about what I play already to not get triggered so I just end up not playing a lot of video games, and the ones I do often play end up being games aimed at younger audiences. Obviously not ideal but it beats the alternative
     
    crienne

    crienne

    Member
    Oct 25, 2017
    5,301
    Rhaknar said:
    been wanting to ask this for a long time, how often do you guys (or gals I guess) actually drop a game or not play it out right because of some sexist design or imagery? I ask because I run into that stuff so often, usually in places I wouldn't expect, and every time I roll my eyes, think "come on man..." and usually move on, at least if I'm liking the game, and it got me thinking, if one was to drop or not play games where this shit pops up...

    ...you wouldn't be able to play many games >_>

    Which is obviously a sad state of affairs, but it is what it is. Case in point, I'm playing this top down roguelike called Devil Slayer Raksasi, picked it up on sale on Switch not knowing anything about it except it looked alright in pictures and had good reviews on steam, and all was going well since this is what the game looks like:

    ss_36aa465c92a3315816e9fb0ba669e558bd752f4b.1920x1080.jpg


    but then you run into the character screens and it's stuff like this

    ss_86084a17f17634124bfe335c685b7200687d6af7.1920x1080.jpg


    and as usual, I rolled my eyes, went "come on man..." (especially in the death screens where they use the ripped clothes anime trope) and carried on, because in the actual game, you would never know this, since it's completely top down (not even isometric). This is of course just one example, I mean, you can't play a JRPG for example (for the most part, I'm sure there's exceptions) without running into some eye rolling bullshit.

    So how do y'all handle it?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    I mean, I do put games aside for stuff like this from time to time. A good recent(ish) example is when I started playing Astalon: Tears of the Earth. Was mostly enjoying the very early bits of it, but the portrait for the only playable female character turned me off instantly. Nothing about the game was proving to be anything special anyways, so it was easy to put down.

    The portraits of the characters:
    DSo9dKeWsAQTXM4
     
    Inquisitive_Ghost

    Inquisitive_Ghost

    Cranky Ghost Pokemon
    Member
    Oct 26, 2017
    6,147
    There have definitely been games I've just skipped entirely due to sexist garbage. I like the gameplay of the Xeno titles but skipped out starting with Chronicles 2 because I just couldn't with the gross female armours anymore. I put off Devil Survivor 2 for a long time due to the character designs being even worse than the first game, and it lived up to all my disappointing expectations when I did eventually play it.

    If you want to enjoy video games while caring about sexism at all, you basically have to just pick your battles, or there wouldn't be a ton you'd be able to play at all, or it would be limited to certain genres. Sexism is still very normalized, unfortunately. We all have things we like while thinking parts of them could be better or are just outright bad.
     
    Rhaknar

    Rhaknar

    Member
    Oct 26, 2017
    42,999
    Inquisitive_Ghost said:
    There have definitely been games I've just skipped entirely due to sexist garbage. I like the gameplay of the Xeno titles but skipped out starting with Chronicles 2 because I just couldn't with the gross female armours anymore. I put off Devil Survivor 2 for a long time due to the character designs being even worse than the first game, and it lived up to all my disappointing expectations when I did eventually play it.

    If you want to enjoy video games while caring about sexism at all, you basically have to just pick your battles, or there wouldn't be a ton you'd be able to play at all, or it would be limited to certain genres. Sexism is still very normalized, unfortunately. We all have things we like while thinking parts of them could be better or are just outright bad.
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    yeah pretty much where i'm at. I loved Xeno 2 but there was much eye rolling on that one. Also still baffled when people defend anything related to the character designs in that.

    crienne said:
    Nothing about the game was proving to be anything special anyways, so it was easy to put down.
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    ...it's actually pretty good lol. I am a fanboy of the genre tho to be fair.
     
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